Winding mechanism for watches



y Y' (Model.) I 2Sheets-Sheet 1. l

N. SILBERBERG.

WINDING MECHANISM FOR WATCHES.

(Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. N. SILBBRBBRG.

WINDING MEGHANISM FOR WATCHES.

No. 473,675. Patented Apr. Z6, 1892.

Yip! A. ewmw MM @1f- MV M UNITED STATES NATHAN SILBERBERG,

PATENT OFFICE.

OF JASSY, ROUMANIA.

WINDING MECHANISM FOR WATCHES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 473,675, dated April26, 1892. Application tiled March 18, 1891. Serial No. 385,564. (Model.)Patented in Switzerland September 13, 1890, No. 2,662.

To a/ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, NATHAN SILBERBERG, a subject of the King ofRoumania, and a resident of Jassy, Roumania, have invented certainImprovements in Watches, (for which a patent has been granted inSwitzerland, N o. 2,662, dated September 13,1890,) ot which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in and relating to thewinding mechanism of watches; and its object is to improve theconstruction of such winding mechanism, whereby overwinding of the watchand consequent deterioration and breakage ot the mainspring or otherparts are prevented.

p My invention will be hereinafter fully described, and its novelfeatures carefully defined in the claims.

In order that my invention may be the better understood, I haveillustrated in the accompanying drawings my improvements applied to thewinding mechanism of a watch, in which- Figure l is an enlarged faceView, taken from the rear side of the watch opposite the dial, of thewinding mechanism provided with my improvements, the other portions 0fthe mechanism of the watch being omitted to avoid confusion; and Fig. 2is a rear view of the same. Figs. 3, Li, and 5 are detail views taken inthree different planes through the mechanism,which will be hereinafterreferred to. Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 66 in Fig. l.

In the views, A represents the stem of the watch, and B is the pinionsecured on the lower end thereof and turning therewith.

B is a toothed gear engaging the teeth of pinion B, and B2 is a secondtoothed gear in mesh with wheel B. These wheels will of course be of theproper relative dimensions and arrangement as to number of teeth, dac.,and pinion B will be by preference ratcheted on the stem A'in anordinary well-known manner, so that said stem may be rotated back andforward, but will rotate said pinion B in but one direction;

a is a sha-ft or arbor, journaled at its ends f and f2 in bridges D andE, mounted on the respective rear and dial faces of the movement, saidarbor extending entirely through the same and provided at its rear endwith a square just inside journalf, adapted to ta corresponding squarerecess in wheel B2, as seen in Fig. 6. At its opposite end said shaftcarries a ratchet-wheel m, formed integrally therewith by preference,but which may be secured thereto in the same manner as wheel B2 or inany other manner desired. Thus it will be seen that rotation of wheel B2by means of stem A through the intermediaries rotates arbor a andratchet-wheel m, carried thereon.

c is a tubular arbor, loosely mounted on shaft a and provided on itsforward end, next wheel m, with asquare j, which receives iirst a smalltoothed disk and beyond this, next to wheel m, a larger disk Z,preferably of steel. On its opposite end said arbor is provided with asecond square c', which iits a corresponding square recess in aratchet-wheel C, provided with two pawls d and d2, pressed to said wheelby a spring' e, and so set as to stop said wheel at intervals of half atooth in a well-known manner. The disk Zbears a pawl n, provided with aspring Z', holding it normally in engagement with the teeth of wheel m,the tail n of said pawl being also provided with a spring n2, relativelyweaker than spring' Z, the tendency of which is to disengage said pawlfrom the teeth of ratchetwheel m. This spring n2 is provided with asharp curve or enlargement n3, which projects slightly beyond thecircumference of disk Zin the mannerofacam.Thisconstructionwillbereadily understood by reference to Fig. 4.

F is the barrel-spring and casing as a whole, which is loosely mountedon the tubular arbor c, the spring being pinned fast at its inner end tosaid arbor and at its outer end to said casing. as clearly seen in Fig.6. Mounted on the front or dial face of this casing F is a disk k2,provided with five teeth, as seen in Fig. 3, which disk lies, when thepart-s are assembled, in the plane of disk on arbor c, the single toothof which is adapted to engage the teeth of said toothed disk 7a2. Thedisk k2 is provided on its front side, facing the dial, with a stud orprojecting pin b, the purpose of which will be hereinafter explained,and said disk 7a2 is also provided with a' springbrake k', which has ahead adapted to slip IOO over and lie between the teeth of said disk asthe same is rotated. The shaft a and Wheel m being'set in motion in thedirection of the arrow y in Figs. l and 2, the arbor c is set 5/inrotation in the same direction by reason of the engagement of the teethof wheel m with pawl 'n on disk Z, which disk is set fast to said arborc. This rotary movement is communicated to the. ratchet-wheel C, whichslips past its pawls and to disk x, which is also set fast on saidarbor, and tends to wind up the spring within the casing F, whereby thetrain ofthe watch is moved, said casing remaining during the'winding upof the spring practically stationary by reason of the resistance of thetrain and mechanism of the watch to the rotary movement. Thus at eachrevolution of the arbor c the tooth Jcon disk will engage one tooth ofdisk k2 and rotate said disk, which,being Vmounted on casing F, remainsstationary with the latter to the eX- tent of one tooth in the directionof arrow .z in Fig. 3. As the parts are seen inl Figs. 3 and 6,vengagement of said disks may take place ve times, when the parts willhave as- -sumed the position seen in Fig. 5-that is, the disk k2 willhave been rotated far enough to bring the pin b thereon into engagementwith the cam-like bend or enlargement n3 of spring fn?, when said springwill be compressed, and becoming stronger through compression willoverbalance spring Z and lift pawl n from engagement with the teeth ofwheel m, thereby disengaging arbor c from shaft a and allowing saidshaft to rotate freely, communicating no movement to the mainspringthrough said arbor c. The spring is now fully wound up, and the personwinding the watch will immediately notice the difference and cease; butshould he continue to turn stem A backward and forward no harm canhappen to the mainspring, as there is now no connection between it andsaid stem. As the casing F rotates in unwinding the spring after thesame has been fully wound up, thel pin b will be withdrawn from itsposition ou the crown of the enlargement n3 in the direction indicatedby arrow s in Fig. 5, and when such movement shall have advancedsufficiently the spring may again be wound up. As the casing F bearingdisk k2 rotates, one of the teeth of said disk again enffagestooth 'ofdisk a:

in acontrary direction, and said disk, together with arbor c, being setfast against back rotation by the pawls of ratchet-wheel (lsaid disk 7a2is rotated in a contrary direction to the extent of one tooth. Thistakes place tive times, oruntil the spring shall have run down, when theparts will have again assumed the position seen in Figs. 3 and 1l.

It will be readily understood that my invention, as shown in thedrawings, is susceptible of considerable modiiication without material.departure from its embodied principles, and therefore I do not wish tolimit myself to this particular construction. For instance, thebarrel-spring need not be mounted A on shaft a, but may revolve about anentirely different center, movement being communicated by the insertionof other gears, &:c.

Further, my invention is not limited in its application to stem-windingwatches, but may be applied with equally beneficial results tokey-winding watches. This may be eected by merely omitting the gears onthe rear side of the Watchand adding a squared head to shaft a toreceive the square of the key.

Having thus described my invention, I claim-- l.. In a winding mechanismfor watches, the combination, with the shaft a, rotatively mounted andratcheted in the movementplates, of the mainspring rotatively mounted onsaid shaft, the ratchet-wheel and vits pawl for communicating themovement of shaft a to the spring, and means, substantiallyas described,for disengaging said spring and shaft, whereby overwindingor strainingof the mainspring is prevented.

2. In a winding mechanism for watches, the combination, with the `shafta, rotatively mounted and ratcheted in the movement- IOO stantially asdescribed, for rotating disk k2 and pressingsaid projection against thetail of pawl n, whereby said pawl is lifted from engagement with theteeth of wheel m, and said arbor c and shaft a disengagedsubstan tiallyas and for the purposes set forth.

3. In a winding mechanism for watches, the combination, with the shafta, rotatively IIO mounted and ratcheted in the movementplates, of thearbor c, bearing the mainspring, land its easing loosely mounted on saidshaft and ratcheted to the movementplates, the ratchet-wheel m on shafta, its pawl n, mounted on arbor c and provided with the springs l andn2, said spring 'n2 provided with the enlargement n, the disk 7a2,rotatively mounted on the casing and provided with teeth, and ay pin b,adapted as said disk is I'rotated to press against the spring n2, andthe disk x, fixed on arbor c and provided with a tooth adapted to engagethe teeth of disk k2, all arranged to operate substantially as and forthe purposes Set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

NATI-IAN SILBERBERG.

Witnesses:

BENNo SILBERBERG, HENRY H. LABHART.

